Netizens aghast over cooking wine used in ‘halal’ claypot chicken rice dish

Netizens aghast over cooking wine used in ‘halal’ claypot chicken rice dish

NEVER assume that an FnB (food & beverage) outlet serves halal fare simply because the proprietor is Muslim or it is manned by tudung-clad staff.

Netizens were aghast that a popular eatery serving a mainly Muslim clientele had been using cooking wine in the preparation of its signature claypot chicken rice dish.

Aman’s Food Stall – located at Restoran Ahmad Muzakin in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur – had been garnering rave reviews on food blogs and videos with long queues bing testament to the shop’s popularity.

The owner couple were also praised by netizens for being able to converse fluently in Cantonese. But some eagle-eyed (and probably kitchen-savvy) diners noticed that cooking rice wine was being doused liberally onto the claypot chicken rice dish in one of the videos.

To clarify, halal does not just mean pork-free but covers a multitude of ingredients that Muslims are not allowed to consume and this includes alcohol. Halal certification is also given out based on hygiene and cleanliness of premises.

Muslim diners, obviously, have been vocal about the need to be able to verify an outlet’s halal status.

Since the issue went viral, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) has clarified that it has never certified the aforementioned shop as serving halal food.

It further advised Muslim diners to use its Verify Halal App or check on its official portal to confirm which restaurants possess valid halal certification issued by the religious authorities.

It should be said that many Malaysian Muslims place great confidence in JAKIM certification. However, it must be pointed out the process is often arduous and costly, pre-empting small business owners from applying for legitimate halal certification.

Hence, the problem arises for Muslim customers who wish to patronise smaller businesses to rely on the Muslim-owners good faith to do the right thing. As the case above clearly shows, that is an unreliable benchmark and one that has caused great unease among Muslim diners.

It is perhaps time for JAKIM to re-evaluate its certification process to make it more accessible to smaller businesses. This will encourage more businesses to adhere to JAKIM guidelines while benefitting from customers having peace of mind on the halal issue.

Meanwhile, the said stall has closed for the time being with an ‘improvement under progress’ notice. – Sept 15, 2023

Main pic credit: Kosmo Digital